Live Search QnA is being rebranded to MSN QnA as it moves over to the MSN …

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Previously, Live Search QnA was referred to as Windows Live QnA, but Microsoft moved it under the Live Search brand because the service was meant to be broader than just Windows Live, which is really aimed at Windows users, and Live Search (note that it's not Windows Live Search) filled this need better. In a move that appears very surprising at first, Live Search QnA (which is still in beta) is now being moved under the MSN family of services, according to a post on Live QnA's Blog. Though we should be reminded that the original codename was simply "Answers," everything points to the service being renamed to MSN QnA.

As part of this reorganization, the majority of the QnA team remains unchanged; some members have moved to work on Live Search and two new members have joined to replace them. With the new name, the team enumerates what other changes will also be applied: "Even more exciting, with our next release, you'll see a change to how QnA handles 'Conversational' vs. 'Informational' questions. Over the past few months, we've been testing how best to include conversational questions in the QnA experience and started the program by requiring the conversational tag. We've heard from many of you that you like the change in QnA policy to accept conversational questions but you don’t like having to manually add the tag. You spoke. We listened. The QnA team is currently working on the changes so stay tuned for the next QnA release."

An update to QnA in July 2008 reworked the layout of the site's content and added Firefox 3 suport. We'll keep you posted during the transition to MSN.